“Side Quest Vol. I” by Haylie Toth

Illustration by Arts and Literary Journal staff editor Grace Hanlon

They say main characters rule the land,

But where do side characters go?

You see them in passing, and wave your hand,

but are they on a mission that you don’t know?

They may be becoming champions of a craft,

or conquering battles along the pier,

they make their friends laugh,

and you may not even know they are here,

but their quests matter, whether big or small,

and they aren’t just side characters after all.

Haylie Toth is a freshman at the University of Michigan, where she is a student of the College of Literature, Science and the Arts. She is a member of the Lloyd Scholars for Writing and the Arts Michigan Learning Community, and she is very passionate about writing!